Music Is: The 28th Edition of the Singapore International Piano Festival (SIPF) To Feature Both Live and Digital Performances

Following two years of disruptions due to the pandemic, the 28th edition of the Singapore International Piano Festival (SIPF), organised by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, will mark the return to full audience recitals. The annual event was cancelled for the first time in 2020, while a scaled down version for a 50 pax audience was held last year. 

Set to take place from 4th to 13th June, this year’s edition, led by Artistic Director and Singaporean pianist Lim Yan, will feature a mix of digital and live performances, starring a stellar line-up of international pianists including Berlin-based Singaporean Shaun Choo, Argentinian Ingrid Fliter, British Leon McCawley, and more.

Happening on 10 June, Singapore International Piano Festival: Shaun Choo will feature the Berlin-based Singaporean pianist who will be making his debut appearance at the festival, performing a handful of classics by renowned composers including Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert and more, before concluding with his own piece Tango. 

On 11 June, Singapore International Piano Festival: Ingrid Fliter will see the award-winning pianist present the sonatas of Beethoven, Haydn and Scarlatti, culminating in Schumann’s monumental Symphonic Etudes. Fans of the Argentinian pianist, who is renowned for her interpretation of Chopin, will also be pleased to know that she will be holding a masterclass on 12 June. 

On the same day, Singapore International Piano Festival: Leon McCawley will shine the spotlight on the acclaimed British pianist, who is set to mesmerise the crowd with an evening of piano poetry, featuring the irresistible gems of Austrian piano tradition. The 28th edition of SIPF will end off on a high note on 13 June with Singapore International Piano Festival: Masterclass with Leon McCawley, where guests will get to hear and learn more from the British pianist, best known for bringing freshness and vitality to Classical, Romantic and 20th century repertoire. 

In addition to the live concerts, this year’s SIPF will also feature online recitals for the first time, starring acclaimed pianists hosted on SSOLOUNGE. These digital recitals were recorded live during the 2021 edition of SIPF, where audiences were capped at 50 persons for each performance due to safe management measures. 

Kicking off the online recitals on 4 June, Singapore International Piano Festival – Chang Yun-Hua will feature the Taiwanese pianist performing Brahms’s sparkling 25 variations on a Handellian theme and Beethoven’s middle period masterpiece that starts with a farewell but ends in happy reunion. 

In the evening, catch Singapore International Piano Festival – Kseniia Vokhmianina where viewers will get to witness the multi-award-winning pianist perform a recital of Bach, Rachmaninoff and three evocative preludes by Ukrainian composer Levko Revutsky. 

On 5 June, Singapore International Piano Festival: Nicholas Loh will see the local pianist present a stunning programme of contemporary works including American composer-pianist Frederic Rzewski’s North American Ballads and George Crumb’s Eine Kleine Mitternachtmusik.

The online recitals will wrap up on the same day with Singapore International Piano Festival: Churen Li, featuring the local talent perform her own take on Bach, George Crumb’s Five Pieces for Piano, Schumann’s Kreisleriana, and Ravel’s Miroirs.   

The 28th Singapore International Piano Festival runs from 4th to 13th June 2022. Tickets and more information available here. Patrons who wish to catch all four online recitals can purchase a SIPF Festival Pass at $8. The online recitals are also available to patrons who have a 12M Premium All-Access Pass to SSOLOUNGE.